March 14, 2014
On March 13, just before the final day for filing tax returns, medium- and small-sized business owners, farmers, and pensioners throughout Japan held protest actions against heavy tax burdens in 580 locations with a total of 140,000 people participating.
Around 400 small-business owners and construction workers held a rally in Tokyo’s Adachi Ward. Tanaka Shigeru, president of the Adachi Democratic Commerce and Industry Organization, said to the audience that it is unfair for the government to provide generous tax breaks to large corporations while collecting the consumption tax from small companies operating in the red. He called on the participants to raise their voices against the government at the grassroots level.
In Saitama Prefecture, 8,500 people took part in protest rallies held at 21 locations. At a rally in Kawaguchi City, representing the Saitama Federation of Trade Unions, Funabashi Hatsue delivered a speech of solidarity, she said, “Let’s say ‘No’ to the runaway policies of the Abe government and work together to strengthen our movements.” After the rally, participants marched in demonstration to the Kawaguchi Tax Office and the Nishi-Kawaguchi Tax Office.
In Niigata Prefecture, 20 anti-tax increase rallies took place on and around March 13. One of the rallies was held in Niigata City on March 13 with 1,100 people participating. Watanabe Mutsuo, who heads the prefectural branch of the National Federation of Traders and Producers Organizations, said, “In order to defend our businesses and livelihoods, we will do our utmost to have the government cancel its plan to increase the consumption tax rate to 10% (in October 2015).”
A construction business owner in the rally said to Akahata, “We are suffering from cuts in unit prices and will also have to shoulder the heavier consumption tax. I cannot make ends meet under such conditions. We should achieve a withdrawal of the tax increase plan at any cost.”
Around 400 small-business owners and construction workers held a rally in Tokyo’s Adachi Ward. Tanaka Shigeru, president of the Adachi Democratic Commerce and Industry Organization, said to the audience that it is unfair for the government to provide generous tax breaks to large corporations while collecting the consumption tax from small companies operating in the red. He called on the participants to raise their voices against the government at the grassroots level.
In Saitama Prefecture, 8,500 people took part in protest rallies held at 21 locations. At a rally in Kawaguchi City, representing the Saitama Federation of Trade Unions, Funabashi Hatsue delivered a speech of solidarity, she said, “Let’s say ‘No’ to the runaway policies of the Abe government and work together to strengthen our movements.” After the rally, participants marched in demonstration to the Kawaguchi Tax Office and the Nishi-Kawaguchi Tax Office.
In Niigata Prefecture, 20 anti-tax increase rallies took place on and around March 13. One of the rallies was held in Niigata City on March 13 with 1,100 people participating. Watanabe Mutsuo, who heads the prefectural branch of the National Federation of Traders and Producers Organizations, said, “In order to defend our businesses and livelihoods, we will do our utmost to have the government cancel its plan to increase the consumption tax rate to 10% (in October 2015).”
A construction business owner in the rally said to Akahata, “We are suffering from cuts in unit prices and will also have to shoulder the heavier consumption tax. I cannot make ends meet under such conditions. We should achieve a withdrawal of the tax increase plan at any cost.”
